וַיִּסְע֖וּ מִקִּבְרֹ֣ת הַֽתַּאֲוָ֑ה וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בַּחֲצֵרֹֽת׃
Mereka berangkat dari Kibrot-Taawa, lalu berkemah di Hazerot.
Rabbeinu Bahya
A Kabbalistic approach: When Moses asked: “please show me Your ways,” he meant “the paths of goodness by means of which you G’d guide and govern Your universe. It is the means by which You become known.” These are the paths of righteousness and kindness, the mark of the righteous person who is the foundation of the earth. Of such a righteous person David said in Psalms 145,17: “the Lord is righteous in all His ways.” These ways which Moses requested are the same as the ones described by Solomon as the ones which he considered beyond his ability to understand when he wrote: in Proverbs 30,18-19: “three things are beyond me, and four I do not know. The way an eagle flies in the sky, the way of a serpent over a rock, how a ship makes its way across the seas, and the way of a man with a virgin.” Solomon meant that the activity of the Just in this world which is described as “the foundation of the earth” is beyond his ability to understand. This is why he included in the random examples he chose both activities in the air, on the water, and activities performed by man. These three realms comprise the totality of the terrestrial universe. The birds roam the atmosphere; the free-roaming beasts roam the earth, the dust; the people traveling in ships roam the waters, and the human species comprised of males and females are what are meant by “the way of a man with a virgin.” Whereas Solomon understood these phenomena, what he did not understand was what is meant by the “activity of the righteous, the Just.” Moses sought clarification of the very thing Solomon failed to understand. [If I understand this correctly, both Moses and Solomon failed to understand how the activity of the Just is responsible for the continued existence of the universe so that it is termed “the foundation of the world.” Ed.] Moses said ואדעך, “so that I will know You,” meaning “so that I can properly appreciate Your uniqueness.”
למען אמצא חן בעיניך, “in order that I may find favour in Your eyes.” This teaches us that a person who properly appreciates the unity and uniqueness of the Lord will find favour in His eyes.
וראה כי עמך הגוי הזה, “and see that this nation is truly Your people.” He meant that seeing he was in charge of leading this people, G’d’s people, it was imperative that G’d should grant him these insights in order for him to discharge his duties optimally.
When G’d responded by saying פני ילכו, this was a reference to the angel Mattatron who is the instrument by means of which the Lord is known throughout the universe for the marvelous and sometimes dreadful events which He orchestrates. Observing these phenomena set in motion by this angel is what was meant in Exodus 14,31 when the Torah wrote: “Israel saw the great hand which the Lord had employed against Egypt, and the people were afraid and they believed in the Lord.”
The words והניחותי לך, “I will give you rest,” are derived from the word נחת רוח, “peace of mind.” G’d told Moses that he should not worry that He, G’d, would apply the yardstick of the attribute of Justice in its full measure when relating to the Jewish people but only what is known as the attribute of Justice in its diminished form. This form of the attribute of Justice co-opts a measure of the attribute of Mercy. The “messenger” (Mattatron) to whom G’d referred at this time is known as the attribute of כבוד, more popularly known as the Shechinah. This is the reason Onkelos translates the words פני ילכו as שכנתי תהך, “My Shechinah will go.”
Moses was not satisfied with this response, seeing that it represented the attribute of Justice, albeit, the watered down variety. This is why he insisted אם אין פניך הולכים אל תעלנו מזה, “if Your Presence does not go along do not bring us forward from here.” Moses meant that he did not want any intermediary to be the agent that would accompany the Jewish people on their journey. After all, when G’d took the people out of Egypt He had employed two attributes, both the יד החזקה and the כח גדול, “the strong hand (attribute of Justice) as well as the attribute of Mercy (Exodus 14,11). Our sages in the Haggadah shel Pessach used this wording to state that the process of redemption (killing the firstborn of Egypt while saving the firstborn of the Jews) was possible only because G’d did not entrust this to any of His agents. G’d personally involved Himself in that redemption. Moses demanded no less at this time. G’d consented to Moses’ request in this regard, saying: “also the thing that you have said I shall do for you have found favour in My eyes” (verse 17).
Seeing that G’d had responded favourably to his last request, Moses was now encouraged to ask for even more by saying: “please show me Your glory.” In this matter Moses did not elicit a positive response, G’d explaining that it was impossible to grant this request. Onkelos translates the words לא תוכל לראות פני, as לא תיכול למחזי אפי שכינתי, “you cannot see the face of My Shechinah.” Seeing that in Psalms 104,17 the Shechinah is referred to in terms of חסידה ברושים ביתה, that “the stork makes its home in the lofty cypress,” a simile for the far end of the אצילות, (a region of the celestial world), the near end of that region is understandably described as the “face,” פנים. When G’d said “there is a place beside Me,” He referred to the tail-end of that celestial region we described as אצילות, meaning that this was a region Moses would be able to see. This was not a new concession on the part of G’d, but merely a repetition in different words of what He had said previously when He told Moses: “I will make all My goodness pass before you.”
The expression אחורי derived from אחור refers to the “West.” similarly to Psalms 139,5 אחור וקדם צרתני, “You have shaped me at the rear and at the front (to look alike from both sides).” [the reference is to Adam prior to Eve having become a separate body. Ed.] It is well known that the Shechinah‘s residence is in the West. [Man (Adam) looked both to the west and to the east simultaneously at that stage of his existence. Ed] Though he was able to view the “western” end of the Shechinah he was not able to view its “eastern” end. Seeing that Moses had already attained a level enabling him to comprehend the emanations כבוד ותפארת, G’d said to Moses that he would enable him to comprehend the higher emanation חכמה also. This is the true meaning of the words וראית את אחורי. The letter א at the beginning of the word אחורי is not part of the word itself, which is derived from חיור a form of light. G’d told Moses that he would be able to see a reflection of G’d’s “Light.” The emanation חכמה, “wisdom” (its source) is also sometimes called לבנון, [from לבן “white,” i.e. reflecting all the light aimed at it. Ed.] “Seeing” that emanation חכמה was not merely for the sake of seeing it, but as our sages said (Berachot 7), G’d showed Moses the knot with which the phylacteries of the head are to be tied. The knot is formed in the shape of the letter ד, and it is a well known fact that the letter ד represents the foundation of all wisdom. This is spelled out in the Sefer Yetzirah in connection with the meanings of the letters בג’ד כפר’ת. Solomon has already alluded to this in Song of Songs 7,6 where he wrote ודלת ראשך כארגמן, “and your crowning braid is like purple.” He meant that this was the highest level of insight that could be achieved by man, the emanation כתר, the highest of the emanations, is not subject to man’s comprehension. This was meant by ופני לא יראו.
After these introductory remarks by G’d the Torah proceeds to describe (34,5) that G’d “descended” in a cloud and “stood” beside Moses proclaiming the holy name of the Lord.” The expression וירד, a word which we normally translate as “He descended” is here an expression of השגה, “achievement,” attainment.” The word is used in Talmudic Hebrew when describing that someone “descends” into the deeper meaning of something and as a result gains full understanding. The meaning of the entire verse is that Moses now attained a comprehension of the meaning of the holy name of G’d, the attribute כבוד, which is also known as שם with the vowel kametz. The word occurs in that connotation both in Genesis 2,10 and in Samuel II 6,2. In Genesis the meaning of the word is that from that location and upwards the disembodied beings, angels, would ascend to the higher celestial regions. In the book of Samuel where the author speaks of the Holy Ark, the meaning of that word is justified also as the “ark” is also known as shem, i.e. representing the name of G’d. We find that Moses had already been described as shem in 33,2.
When the Torah writes at this juncture: ויקרא בשם ה’, the meaning is that the attribute כבוד proclaimed this name of the Lord. The word בשם in this verse is a possessive clause of the word י-ה-ו-ה. This is also the way Onkelos understood it when he translated the sequence as בשמא דה’, “in the name of the tetragram.” When the Torah continues (verse 6) with ויעבור ה’ על פניו, the word Hashem here is a reference to the attribute כבוד. Seeing that this attribute is equivalent to the Shechinah, Onkelos translates the words as ואעבר ה’ שכינתה “G’d let His Shechinah pass before him (Moses).” The word ויקרא “He called out,” refers again to the subject, i.e. the attribute כבוד. It was this attribute which proclaimed the thirteen attributes of G’d and their functions which were revealed to Moses at this stage. These attributes were part of the emanation תפארת, “harmony,” the sixth emanation [commencing with the emanation מלכות at the lower end of the scale. Ed.] This emanation is equated with the attribute of Mercy, and all the 13 מדות, “virtues,” mentioned here are merely different nuances of the attribute of Mercy and how and when it is invoked. The word ויעבור introduces the point when G’d fulfills His previous promise אני אעביר כל טובי לפניך, “I will let all My goodness pass before you” (33,19). The Zohar (Parshat Vayakhel page 202), when referring to our verse refers to these 13 virtues as מכילין דרחמי, “degrees of mercy.”
למען אמצא חן בעיניך, “in order that I may find favour in Your eyes.” This teaches us that a person who properly appreciates the unity and uniqueness of the Lord will find favour in His eyes.
וראה כי עמך הגוי הזה, “and see that this nation is truly Your people.” He meant that seeing he was in charge of leading this people, G’d’s people, it was imperative that G’d should grant him these insights in order for him to discharge his duties optimally.
When G’d responded by saying פני ילכו, this was a reference to the angel Mattatron who is the instrument by means of which the Lord is known throughout the universe for the marvelous and sometimes dreadful events which He orchestrates. Observing these phenomena set in motion by this angel is what was meant in Exodus 14,31 when the Torah wrote: “Israel saw the great hand which the Lord had employed against Egypt, and the people were afraid and they believed in the Lord.”
The words והניחותי לך, “I will give you rest,” are derived from the word נחת רוח, “peace of mind.” G’d told Moses that he should not worry that He, G’d, would apply the yardstick of the attribute of Justice in its full measure when relating to the Jewish people but only what is known as the attribute of Justice in its diminished form. This form of the attribute of Justice co-opts a measure of the attribute of Mercy. The “messenger” (Mattatron) to whom G’d referred at this time is known as the attribute of כבוד, more popularly known as the Shechinah. This is the reason Onkelos translates the words פני ילכו as שכנתי תהך, “My Shechinah will go.”
Moses was not satisfied with this response, seeing that it represented the attribute of Justice, albeit, the watered down variety. This is why he insisted אם אין פניך הולכים אל תעלנו מזה, “if Your Presence does not go along do not bring us forward from here.” Moses meant that he did not want any intermediary to be the agent that would accompany the Jewish people on their journey. After all, when G’d took the people out of Egypt He had employed two attributes, both the יד החזקה and the כח גדול, “the strong hand (attribute of Justice) as well as the attribute of Mercy (Exodus 14,11). Our sages in the Haggadah shel Pessach used this wording to state that the process of redemption (killing the firstborn of Egypt while saving the firstborn of the Jews) was possible only because G’d did not entrust this to any of His agents. G’d personally involved Himself in that redemption. Moses demanded no less at this time. G’d consented to Moses’ request in this regard, saying: “also the thing that you have said I shall do for you have found favour in My eyes” (verse 17).
Seeing that G’d had responded favourably to his last request, Moses was now encouraged to ask for even more by saying: “please show me Your glory.” In this matter Moses did not elicit a positive response, G’d explaining that it was impossible to grant this request. Onkelos translates the words לא תוכל לראות פני, as לא תיכול למחזי אפי שכינתי, “you cannot see the face of My Shechinah.” Seeing that in Psalms 104,17 the Shechinah is referred to in terms of חסידה ברושים ביתה, that “the stork makes its home in the lofty cypress,” a simile for the far end of the אצילות, (a region of the celestial world), the near end of that region is understandably described as the “face,” פנים. When G’d said “there is a place beside Me,” He referred to the tail-end of that celestial region we described as אצילות, meaning that this was a region Moses would be able to see. This was not a new concession on the part of G’d, but merely a repetition in different words of what He had said previously when He told Moses: “I will make all My goodness pass before you.”
The expression אחורי derived from אחור refers to the “West.” similarly to Psalms 139,5 אחור וקדם צרתני, “You have shaped me at the rear and at the front (to look alike from both sides).” [the reference is to Adam prior to Eve having become a separate body. Ed.] It is well known that the Shechinah‘s residence is in the West. [Man (Adam) looked both to the west and to the east simultaneously at that stage of his existence. Ed] Though he was able to view the “western” end of the Shechinah he was not able to view its “eastern” end. Seeing that Moses had already attained a level enabling him to comprehend the emanations כבוד ותפארת, G’d said to Moses that he would enable him to comprehend the higher emanation חכמה also. This is the true meaning of the words וראית את אחורי. The letter א at the beginning of the word אחורי is not part of the word itself, which is derived from חיור a form of light. G’d told Moses that he would be able to see a reflection of G’d’s “Light.” The emanation חכמה, “wisdom” (its source) is also sometimes called לבנון, [from לבן “white,” i.e. reflecting all the light aimed at it. Ed.] “Seeing” that emanation חכמה was not merely for the sake of seeing it, but as our sages said (Berachot 7), G’d showed Moses the knot with which the phylacteries of the head are to be tied. The knot is formed in the shape of the letter ד, and it is a well known fact that the letter ד represents the foundation of all wisdom. This is spelled out in the Sefer Yetzirah in connection with the meanings of the letters בג’ד כפר’ת. Solomon has already alluded to this in Song of Songs 7,6 where he wrote ודלת ראשך כארגמן, “and your crowning braid is like purple.” He meant that this was the highest level of insight that could be achieved by man, the emanation כתר, the highest of the emanations, is not subject to man’s comprehension. This was meant by ופני לא יראו.
After these introductory remarks by G’d the Torah proceeds to describe (34,5) that G’d “descended” in a cloud and “stood” beside Moses proclaiming the holy name of the Lord.” The expression וירד, a word which we normally translate as “He descended” is here an expression of השגה, “achievement,” attainment.” The word is used in Talmudic Hebrew when describing that someone “descends” into the deeper meaning of something and as a result gains full understanding. The meaning of the entire verse is that Moses now attained a comprehension of the meaning of the holy name of G’d, the attribute כבוד, which is also known as שם with the vowel kametz. The word occurs in that connotation both in Genesis 2,10 and in Samuel II 6,2. In Genesis the meaning of the word is that from that location and upwards the disembodied beings, angels, would ascend to the higher celestial regions. In the book of Samuel where the author speaks of the Holy Ark, the meaning of that word is justified also as the “ark” is also known as shem, i.e. representing the name of G’d. We find that Moses had already been described as shem in 33,2.
When the Torah writes at this juncture: ויקרא בשם ה’, the meaning is that the attribute כבוד proclaimed this name of the Lord. The word בשם in this verse is a possessive clause of the word י-ה-ו-ה. This is also the way Onkelos understood it when he translated the sequence as בשמא דה’, “in the name of the tetragram.” When the Torah continues (verse 6) with ויעבור ה’ על פניו, the word Hashem here is a reference to the attribute כבוד. Seeing that this attribute is equivalent to the Shechinah, Onkelos translates the words as ואעבר ה’ שכינתה “G’d let His Shechinah pass before him (Moses).” The word ויקרא “He called out,” refers again to the subject, i.e. the attribute כבוד. It was this attribute which proclaimed the thirteen attributes of G’d and their functions which were revealed to Moses at this stage. These attributes were part of the emanation תפארת, “harmony,” the sixth emanation [commencing with the emanation מלכות at the lower end of the scale. Ed.] This emanation is equated with the attribute of Mercy, and all the 13 מדות, “virtues,” mentioned here are merely different nuances of the attribute of Mercy and how and when it is invoked. The word ויעבור introduces the point when G’d fulfills His previous promise אני אעביר כל טובי לפניך, “I will let all My goodness pass before you” (33,19). The Zohar (Parshat Vayakhel page 202), when referring to our verse refers to these 13 virtues as מכילין דרחמי, “degrees of mercy.”
Chizkuni
ויאמר אני אעביר את כל טובי על פניך, “I will let all My goodness pass before you (your eyes) [and identify each attribute of Mine. Ed.] This also is the completion of a subject G-d had already touched upon when He had said, (without specifying) in verse 17: (“I will also grant this wish of yours”). Concerning Moses’ plea to be granted a visual revelation of G-d’s essence, however, He told him that this wish could not be fulfilled as long as his soul was attached to a body; in other words, he would have to wait until after his death. When Moses first heard G-d say that He would not be able to make out G-d’s features, he thought that perhaps G-d thought that he was not sufficiently alert to different features. In order to make clear to Moses that this was not the issue, He immediately told him what He would show him, i.e. from a safe distance when what he would see could not harm him physically; He told him that there was a “place” not far from where His essence was from which he could safely watch if not G-d’s “face” but His “back,” i.e. the result of His having visited that place. G-d’s attributes are recognisable by means of His manifest intervention in His universe and the changes that this intervention will result in. [Some of these words are mine. Editor.] Some scholars interpret this verse differently; they do not understand Moses as having asked to actually “see” G-d with his physical eyes, and they remind us that this same Moses at the burning bush had reacted to a vision of the Divine by hiding his face in fear. (Exodus 3,6) They therefore understand Moses as asking for a visual symbol that his request had been granted. This would serve as a covenant between G-d and himself. As a result, these sages understand Moses’ request as follows: “please show me Your glory by means of concluding a covenant with me, confirming what I requested and Your willingness to grant that request.” G-d consented to doing this, as we know from His saying: “I will let all My goodness pass before your eyes;” this was followed by G-d saying in Exodus 34,10: הנה אנכי כורת ברית נגד כל עמך אעשה נפלאות וגו', “Here I am concluding a covenant with you by displaying miracles in the presence of all of your people, etc. (Rash’bam) אעביר, “I shall proclaim;” We find this root in a similar context in Exodus 36,6, ויעבירו קול במחנה, “they proclaimed loudly throughout the camp, etc.;”
Ibn Ezra
Taverah is probably the name of a place where they encamped for only one day, therefore it is not mentioned in the parasha of Masey ; but it is one of the thirty places they traversed on the way from Mount Sinai to Graves-of-Lust, as I have explained [comment on Numbers 10: 31]. The connection between Taverah and Massah is that in both places the people were grumbling against — were testing, as it were — God . The reason Taverah is mentioned first, before Massah, is that at Massah nothing happened to them. And some say that Amalek came because [the Israelites] tested the Lord. And therefore it mentioned the burning of the Lord's fire in them and the pursuit of Amalek and the plague of those that desired - the most difficult first. Some say that Taverah is Massah, along the lines of “from the top of S̀ ә nir and Ḥermon” [Songs of Songs 4: 8]. But the correct explanation is the one I have given.